84 Neotropic Cormorant: New to Ontario and Canada

Ronald G. Tozer and David 1. Milsom

During mid afternoon on 3 May advanced up the pier, clicking as he 2005, a Neotropic Cormorant went (Figure 1). By then, Tozer had (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) was carefully examined the bird with his found by the authors on the north telescope and shouted "Neotropic shore of Lake Erie at Wheatley Cormorant" across the harbour! Harbour, Essex County, Ontario. Milsom nodded but did not speak, The exciting discovery of this new not wanting to frighten off the cor­ bird for Ontario and Canada trans­ morant which he was then formed an otherwise rather ordi­ approaching fairly closely. After nary day of birding! taking a number of photographs, After searching the Hillman Milsom drove around to the east Marsh area, Liz and Dave Milsom side of Wheatley Harbour to join came to Wheatley Harbour to Ron and Pat Tozer. Milsom then check for shorebirds and gulls. called the Point Pelee National There were no birds on the west Park Visitor Centre on his cell beach so Dave drove onto the pier phone to alert the many birders on the west side of the harbour there who would soon be rushing to where the fishing boats are moored. Wheatley Harbour to see this rarity. After scanning the gulls on the Field notes made by Tozer docks, he looked at those on posts included the following: smaller and at the end of the pier. It was then thinner compared with adjacent that he noticed an odd-looking cor­ Double-crested Cormorants (P. auri­ morant on the farthest post. Milsom tus); shorter wings with a greenish looked around to see whether any sheen; longer tail; smaller head and other birders were present, and shorter bluish bill; white V bordering spotted Tozer on the east side of the yellow skin at the base of the bill; and harbour. Milsom shouted to him a few short white plumes on the side and pointed at the cormorant on of the head. In flight, its tail and neck the post. Milsom then checked his appeared to be about the same old Peterson (1980) field guide and length, in contrast to the shorter tails immediately saw that the head illus­ of the Double-crested Cormorants. trated for "Olivaceous Cormorant" This Neotropic Cormorant in (now Neotropic) was a perfect definitive alternate plumage was match for the bird on the post. He under observation by us on 3 May grabbed his camera and slowly from 1520 to 1540h. During that

ONTARIO BIRDS AUGUST 2006 8S

Figure 1: Neotropic Cormorant in definitive alternate plumage at Wheatley Harbour, Essex County, Ontario on 3 May 2005. Photo by David J. Milsom. time, it joined several Double-crest- in the harbour channel. At 154Gh, the ed Cormorants in the harbour, swim- eotropic Cormorant and several ming and successfully diving for fish. Double-cresteds took off, flew low Ellen Smout and some birding out of the harbour mouth to the lake, friends just happened to come by and headed southwestward toward then, and excitedly took some photo- Hillman Marsh. It was literally about graphs of the cormorant as it swam one and a half minutes after the birds

VOLUME 24 NUMBER 2 86 disappeared from view that the first Indies, and northward to New alerted birder arrived from Point Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana (Telfair Pelee! Many birders searched dili­ and Morrison 1995). It has been gently for the remainder of the day reported as casual to Mississippi, at Wheatley Harbour, Hillman southeastern California, Colorado, Marsh, Point Pelee and Leamington, Nebraska, South Dakota, southern but the Neotropic Cormorant could Minnesota, and northern Illinois, not be found. The thought that it with a sight report for southern might not be seen again created Nevada (Telfair and Morrison 1995, much disappointment. AOU 1998). Most occurrences Starting early on 4 May, even beyond the nesting range have more birders arrived at Wheatley involved postbreeding dispersal Harbour, hoping that the cor­ (Telfair and Morrison 1995). Recent morant would return or be located examples of vagrant Neotropic elsewhere. Then, in mid morning, G-ormorants include a pair of adults Bob Curry and Glenda Slessor first at Big Stone National Wildlife spotted what was presumably the Refuge in Lac Qui Parle County, same Neotropic Cormorant with Minnesota from 12 August to 6 two Double-cresteds, flying into the October 2003 (Bardon 2004); and harbour. Many people got to see one found on the Potomac River at the bird that day, and it was subse­ Seneca, Maryland on 12 August quently observed at Wheatley 2005, which was later seen regularly Harbour on 5 and 6 May, as well. in that area from 24 October to 11 Some observations involved it fly­ November, and was the first record ing to or coming from nearby for the East Coast of North America Hillman Marsh, also. However, the (Day 2006). Since 1970, the popula­ Neotropic Cormorant was never tion of Neotropic Cormorant in the seen within Hillman Marsh proper, United States has fluctuated but and may have been travelling far­ risen steadily overall, with increases ther south to West Cranberry Pond in the number and size of breeding in Pelee Marsh to roost, since colonies, and establishment of new Double-crested Cormorants by the nesting colonies (Telfair and hundreds (sometimes thousands) Morrison 1995). congregate there regularly (A. The occurrence of this Wormington, pers. comm.). Neotropic Cormorant at Wheatley Harbour and Hillman Marsh from 3 Discussion to 6 May 2005 has been accepted by The Neotropic Cormorant is one of the Ontario Bird Records the most widely distributed of the Committee (OBRC), and consti­ cormorants, its breeding range tutes the first record for Ontario extending throughout South and (Crins 2006). Although there were Central America, Mexico, the West some other reports of Neotropic ONTARIO BIRDS AUGUST 2006 87

Cormorant after 6 May, at Wheatley Neotropic Cormorant is currently Harbour and Port Alma, Chatham­ designated as "hypothetical" on the Kent Region, they were either not Field Checklist of Saskatchewan submitted to the OBRC or were Birds (Nature Saskatchewan 2005). not accepted by it (Crins 2006). The Saskatchewan report was not The Neotropic Cormorant included in the casual occurrences reported here is also the first con­ listed for Neotropic Cormorant in firmed record for Canada. A small the American Ornithologists' Union cormorant identified by a single Check-list (AOU 1998), and the observer as a Neotropic Cormorant species was not on the "List of (then Olivaceous) was reported on Canadian Birds" published by Wascana Lake in Regina, Birders Journal (2003), either. Saskatchewan, on 8 September 1989. The sighting with minimal descrip­ Acknowledgements tion ofthe bird was later published as We would like to thank Ron the first record for Canada (Brazier Pittaway and Alan Wormington for 1990). However, that record is their comments on an earlier draft, reportedly not considered valid by and Margaret Bain for helpful sug­ most ornithologists in Canada. gestions.

Literature Cited [AOU] American Ornithologists' Union. Nature Saskatchewan. 2005. Field checklist of 1998. Check-list of North American Birds. Saskatchewan Birds. Nature Saskatchewan, American Ornithologists' Union, Regina, Saskatchewan. Washington, D.C. Peterson, R.T. 1980. A Field Guide to the Bardon, K. 2004. Neotropic Cormorants in Birds. Houghton Mifflin Company, Lac Qui Parle County. Loon 76: 46. Boston, Massachusetts. Birders Journal. 2003. List of Canadian Telfair, R.C. and M.L. Morrison. 1995. Birds. Birders Journal Publishing Inc., Neotropic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax Whitby, Ontario. brasilianus). In The Birds of North Brazier, F. 1990. Olivaceous Cormorant-First America, No. 137 (A. Poole and F. Gill, record for Canada. Blue Jay 48: 154-155. editors). Academy of Natural Sciences, Crins, W.J. 2006. Ontario Bird Records Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and American Committee report for 2005. Ontario Birds Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. 24: 54-74. Day, T.M. 2006. Fall migration, August through November 2005: Middle Atlantic region. North American Birds 60: 49-53.

Ronald G. Tozer, 1017 Spring Lake Road, R.R. 1, Dwight, Ontario POA 1HO

David 1. Milsom, 232 Bell-Air Drive, Bolton, Ontario L7E 1Z7

VOLUME 24 NUMBER 2